Herrera castaneanigricula, Sanborn, 2024

Sanborn, Allen F., 2024, The cicada (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) fauna of the Lesser Antilles sensu lato with the description of two new species, two new combinations, and a key to species, Zootaxa 5497 (1), pp. 33-69 : 55-58

Herrera castaneanigricula n. sp.

( Fig. 2 )

Type material. Holotype. “ MARTINIQUE / Morne Sulpice / UV Light / 20–XI–2017 / N. Moulin coll.” male ( FSCA) . Paratype. “ MARTINIQUE / Morne Aca / UV Light / 22–XI–2017 / N. Moulin coll.” one male ( AFSC) .

Remarks. This new species is smaller and marked with significantly more piceous than the other species of the genus inhabiting Martinique. The shape of the basal lobe appendages also distinguishes the species.

Etymology. The name is a combination of castanea – (L., castaneus, the color of chestnuts, brown) and – nigriculus (L., diminutive form of black, dark, dusky) in reference to the small body size and copious castaneous and piceous markings of the species in comparison to other members of the genus found on Martinique.

Description. Ground color of head and thorax ochraceous marked with piceous and castaneous, abdomen dark castaneous marked with piceous and ochraceous. Like the cogeneric species, the ochraceous is probably green in live or fresh specimens.

Head. Head wider than mesonotum, ground color with piceous frons except for the ochraceous midline, vertex surrounding ocelli piceous except ochraceous epicranial suture, ochraceous wider in paratype, piceous continues laterally along posterior head, posterior to eye, and medial margin of eye not reaching supra-antennal plate, lateral vertex castaneous, mark continues along suture with supra-antennal plate and medioposterior and posteromedial margins of supra-antennal plate, separated from piceous center by longitudinal ochraceous mark between level of anterior median ocellus to anterior cranial depression, mark wider in paratype reduced along supra-antennal plate margin and connecting to ochraceous portion of supra-antennal plate, remaining supra-antennal plate ochraceous. Ocelli rosaceous, lateral ocelli with ochraceous center, ochraceous and rosaceous in paratype, eyes dark castaneous. Dorsal head covered with radiating long golden pile, longer and denser silvery pile posterior to eye. Gena ground color with castaneous spot under lateral supra-antennal plate, spot reduced in paratype, lorum ground color with castaneous fascia beginning in middle of medial margin extending posteriorly to center of disk, gena and lorum covered with long silvery pile. Postclypeus ground color with eleven transverse ridges, dorsal postclypeus with castaneous triangular marks, five dorsal and anterior transverse ridges castaneous, only four and not extending laterally to margin in paratype, centrally sulcate from anterior to posteroventral margin to around apex onto dorsal surface, sparse, short silvery pile on dorsolateral margin, sparse, long piceous pile radiating from dorsal and ventral surfaces. Anteclypeus ground color with castaneous lateral margin from anterolateral corner not reaching posterolateral corner, with short silvery and long silvery pile. Mentum ground color, labium ground color with lateral castaneous fascia, fascia widening and darkening to piceous tip radiating golden pile, rostrum reaching to posterior of hind trochanters. Scape and proximal pedicel ground color, remaining antennal segments piceous.

Thorax. Dorsal thorax ground color. Pronotum with piceous spot on disks between paramedian and lateral fissures, extending across dorsal midline in holotype, paramedian fissure piceous except for small region posterior to head, lateral fissure piceous anteriorly, castaneous posteriorly with ground color central region, ambient fissure castaneous, castaneous mark on anterior disk between paramedian fissure and midline, reduced in paratype, lateral disk with central piceous fascia and posterior castaneous mark, and piceous anterior and lateral margins, pronotal collar ground color with castaneous anterior half. Pronotum covered with sparse, radiating long silvery pile, piceous pile in posterior ambient fissure and on lateral pronotal collar. Mesonotum ground color, sigillae dark castaneous except for ground color spot near posterior angle of lateral sigilla, scutal depressions piceous, enclosed within transverse mark between anterior arms of cruciform elevation which extends anteriorly along midline narrowing to terminus at pronotal collar in holotype but terminating between submedian sigillae in paratype, mark extends posteriorly across center of anterior arms of cruciform elevation, castaneous spot on anterior midline of cruciform elevation, absent in paratype, lateral and posterior margins of cruciform elevation margins castaneous, reduced in paratype, castaneous spot on anterolateral corner, piceous posterior mesonotum extending to area posterior to anterior arm of cruciform elevation. Metanotum ground color with castaneous posterior margin. Mesonotum covered with short silvery pile, long silvery pile between anterior arms of cruciform elevation, posterior to anterior arms of cruciform elevation, on lateral and posterior mesothorax, within and radiating from wing groove, and on posterolateral metanotum. Ventral thoracic segments ground color covered with long and short silvery pile.

Wings. Fore wing and wings hyaline. Venation ground color becoming castaneous distally, costa castaneous, spot on wing base, base of clavus, and anal vein 2+3 piceous. Basal cell lightly infuscated along radius & subcostal vein, pterostigma present, basal membrane of fore wing grayish with darker posterior margin. Hind wing venation ground color becoming darker distally except castaneous median vein, cubitus posterior, and anal veins 2 and 3, castaneous spot on proximal anal cell 3, anal vein 3 with slightly curved distal terminus. Anal cell 3 medially and along anal vein 3, almost reaching to terminus, anal cell 2 along anal veins 2 and 3 and cubital cell 2 along cubitus posterior grayish, grayish margined with infuscation.

Legs. Legs ground color, distal tibiae and tarsi castaneous, and proximal and distal pretarsal claws castaneous. Fore femora proximal spine straight with slightly curved tip, largest, angled, secondary spine upright, of intermediate length with curved tip, tertiary spine angled as much as primary spine, shorter than secondary spine with curved tip and more triangular in shape, very small apical spine angled more than tertiary spine, all spines castaneous with piceous tips, primary and secondary spines with piceous base. Tibial spurs and combs castaneous with darker tips. Legs covered with short silvery pile and radiating long silvery pile. Meracanthus broadly triangular, ground color, barely reaching anterior margin of anteromedial operculum in male.

Opercula. Male operculum ground color covered with short silvery pile, radiating long silvery pile especially from posterior and anteromedial margins, lateral margin with a slight rectangular lateral extension at base, smoothly curved lateral and posterolateral margins, posterior margin straight, angled posteromedially, rounded medial margin, not meeting medially reaching to medial meracanthus, straight anteromedial margin curving laterally to base, not covering tympanal cavity posteriorly or anteromedially.

Abdomen. Abdominal tergite 1 ground color with castaneous dorsoanterior and lateral spot, tergite 2 ground color with castaneous anterolateral transverse fascia posterior to timbal cavity and posteromedial transverse piceous fascia, castaneous in paratype, tergite 3 dark castaneous with ground color posterolateral region, tergites 4–8 dark castaneous, tergite 8 with piceous posterior margin, tergites covered with silvery pile, dense surrounding timbal cavity and radiating from piceous auditory capsule, longer pile radiating from lateral tergites 5–8, most dense on tergite 8. Timbal exposed, white with castaneous ribs, three long ribs. Sternites and epipleurites ground color, epipleurites becoming darker in posterior segments, sternites III– VI becoming darker in paratype, sternites III– VI with castaneous medial fasciae, sternite VII dark castaneous, sternite VIII castaneous with anterolateral ground color corners, ground color expanded in paratype, long silvery pile radiating from sternites and epipleurites.

Genitalia. Male pygofer ground color with caststaneous posterodorsal and posterolateral regions and dorsal beak. Dorsal beak narrow, longer than castaneous anal styles. Pygofer basal lobe less than half-length of pygofer, curving mediad, radiating dense golden pile. Upper pygofer lobes small, flattened, recurved medially. Claspers wide at base, curving mediad, termini short, rounded meeting along midline, radiating long golden pile. Basal lobe appendage knife-like with up-curved terminus, flattened, not crossing midline. Aedeagus tubular, dark castaneous, elongated ochraceous terminal membrane extended from both specimens of type series.

Female is unknown.

Measurements (mm). N = 2 males, mean (range). Length of body: 17.15 (15.75–18.55); length of fore wing: 20.20 (19.00–21.40); width of fore wing: 7.25 (6.75–7.75); length of head: 3.08 (2.90–3.25); width of head including eyes: 6.38 (6.00–6.75); width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: 6.53 (6.10–6.95); width of mesonotum: 5.68 (5.15–6.20).

Diagnosis. Herrera castaneanigricula n. sp. is different from the majority of species of Herrera by the degree of piceous markings. Most species of Herrera are green with no or limited markings, and markings are generally linear when present. Only Herrera humilistrata Sanborn & Heath, 2014 , Herrera laticapitata Davis, 1938 , Herrera lugubrina lugubrina ( Stål, 1864) , Herrera lugubrina compostelensis Davis, 1938 , H. guianaensis ( Sanborn, 2011a) , Herrera signifera Sanborn, 2019a and Herrera turbida ( Jacobi, 1907) have a primarily piceous head and significant piceous markings but each can be distinguished relatively easily from the new species. Herrera lugubrina lugubrina can be distinguished by its entirely piceous body. Herrera lugubrina compostelensis and Herrera laticapitata can be distinguished by the piceous fascia on the pronotum dorsal midline that is not found in the new species. Herrera guianaensis and Herrera signifera can be distinguished from the new species by the linear thoracic marking in those species. The reduced thoracic markings and dense pile distinguish Herrera turbida from the new species.

The new species can be distinguished relatively easily from the other Lesser Antilles species of Herrera . The small body size along with the castaneous and piceous marking pattern distinguishes the new species from both Herrera acclivis n. comb. and Herrera martiniquensis n. comb. The extensive piceous markings and primarily piceous abdomen distinguish the new species from Herrera grammosticta . Piceous opercula and luteous patches on the anterior and posterior abdomen along with a smaller body size distinguish Herrera nigropercula from the new species. The male genitalia are also unique in all species.

Distribution. The species is currently known only from the type series collected in the southern portion of Martinique at Morne Sulpice and Morne Aca. The holotype was collected on the same date in the same locality as a specimen of Herrera martiniquensis so the species are sympatric in part of their range. This contrasts Herrera acclivis and Herrera martiniquensis which appear to be allopatric based on altitude ( Sanborn 2017b).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Herrera castaneanigricula n. sp.: A, Holotype male habitus; B, holotype male dorsum; C, holotype male timbal cover; D, holotype male operculum; E, lateral view of paratype male genitalia; F, posterior view of paratype male genitalia; G, paratype male basal lobe appendages. Scale bar: A, 2 cm; B, 5 mm; C–G, 1 mm.